A New World
by CickCycleCarocel
Summary: "Because I care for you, I care for the people who we fought. People I hadn't even met. Violence only begets violence, that is civilian thinking. Weak, cowardly thinking for a ninja but I would choose to think no other way." Sasuke realized, in that moment, that for all the years he had known Sakura he had never actually known her. He wondered, absently, if anyone really did.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is my first fic in a while so I apologize if it doesn't flow as smoothly as I'd like. I hope you all enjoy.**

**A New World**

Ch. 1-

The First Day

The cell they had been keeping him in was just as filthy as he was and smelt of human waste. It made her cringe to see him in such a state. It was really a testament that she had done the right thing. Who knows who else had been treated the same before him?

'Probably too many to count,' she thought to herself before his voice brought her back to reality.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, it sounded like he had gravel in his throat.

"I thought... I'd visit you, seeing as you've had no other company but Naruto and he's on a misson right now," she murmured, offering him a small smile when she finally settled herself in the chair across from him.

"I brought you some tomatoes. Everyone wants to come see you, you know, they just...," she trailed off there. They both knew what was keeping everyone away. He was just the only one willing to openly admit it.

"They all feel stupid, huh? To know that they were working for the enemy the whole time," he bit out sharply. Sakura took in a shaky breath before nodding her head in the affirmative.

"They didn't know, Sasuke. Not like we did. They were doing what they had been taught to. To protect their home no matter what. I did the same," she responded as she began to cut the tomatoes into slices for him.

"But you knew. You looked for the truth," Sasuke said as he lifted his head to finally look at her.

"You knew the truth about my clan, what they did to us. You figured it out."

"Hai, I did. It was the coward in me, Sasuke," Sakura stated with a sigh, this is why she hadn't really want to come at first. Talking about what had happened wasn't something she wanted to do just yet but she knew they would have to talk about it eventually. It was probably best to get it out of the way now.

"What do you mean?" he asked as he licked his lips. He was starving and thirsty and the sight of those tomato slices was making him hungier by the minute but he didn't want to lose focus on what was really important. They needed this talk.

"Because I care for you, I care for the people who we faught. People I hadn't even met. Violence only begets violence, that is civilian thinking. Weak, cowardly thinking for a ninja but I would choose to think no other way," she said firmly as she moved to pop a slice of tomato into his mouth.

He chewed slowly, savoring the flavor of the juicey fruit as her words played over in his head.

"Is that always been your way of thinking?"

"No, it wasn't always but I'm glad it is now. Afterall, if not for that way of thinking we wouldn't be here," Sakura replied as she offered Sasuke another slice.

They sat in silence for a moment, both thinking her words over. Sasuke realized, in that moment, that for all the years he had known Sakura he had never actually _known_ her. He wondered, absently, if anyone really did.

"Do they feed you often?" she inquired softly as she watched him finish chewing the first slice. He shook his head as she feed him another.

"Sorry about that," she muttered as she offered him another. They sat like that for another twenty minutes, her feeding him and him eating what she so kindly offered.

"What will they do with me?" he asked once they had finished. Sakura leaned back in her metal chair and shrugged her shoulders.

"Well right now, as we speak, the elders are disbanning the council. It's a public display to confirm what we had all already agreed upon. A new council will be formed in the next few weeks and then a new Hokage will be chosen. Kakashi's getting rather tired with the position," Sakura spoke with a slight nod of her head.

"Will **he** be the next Kage?" Sasuke asked as he leaned ever so forward in his seat.

"More than likely, yes. We still have to talk it over but everyone is pretty much on the same page," Sakura confirmed.

"'We'?" he questioned with more interest, was she taking a position of power? She deserved it.

"Yes. I am the co-head of the new council, a long with Kakashi," Sakura explained proudly.

"You and him?" Sasuke asked in confusion, looking over the lithe figure of his childhood comrad. Something in him stirred at the idea of her coming from being such a weak yet talented girl to being the co-head of the new council. Pride, perhaps?

"Of course. I am the one who exposed the previous council and Kakashi has already shown he is more than able to handle a leadership role. You wouldn't believe the opposition we faced though. As if having a female Hokage hadn't readied them for a leading female councilor," she said, her smile widening at her own jest.

"So then... what will _you_ do with me?"

"We will be reinstating you as a ninja of Konoha, if that is what you want. We will work with you to bring the Uchiha name back to it's former glory. But only if you are willing to coopperate with us," Sakura said as she began to stand, her coat swishing at her movement.

"I have a meeting to attend and then I must be off to the hospital," Sakura said as she gave him a gentle smile. Sasuke watched her leave as the feeling in his stomach returned.

Yes, he was very proud of her.

**So yeah, there's the first installment. It's short but this was honestly only supposed to be a one shot but my brain just took it in a whole other direction. I'm not sure I should actually continue, if I do it'll still be a short story.**

**Let me know what you think though, thanks. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**The next two chapters will be all background information, as to what lead up to the 'New World'. I wasn't sure if I should write everything out starting from when Sakura was young or just make it short and sweet. I decided to make it short just because that's how I had originally invisioned the story.**

**A New World**

Ch. 2-

The Old World pt. 1

Growing up, Sakura had had a lot to prove. Being the only female in her family she had to prove that she was just as capable as her brothers to her father. At this she had failed, misreably. Everyday after her mother's death she had been put to the test. Taunted, teased, berated. Most would call it abuse, her father called it love.

The first times she hadn't been ready for his stinging words and harsh treatment. What made it worse was the torment she was subjected to by the neighborhood kids day in and day out. Her hair was pulled because they thought it was fake, they would pull on her limbs to make the rest of her match up with her huge forhead, or she was taunted because she never spoke.

Eventually she had gotten used to the harsh treatment, not that it hurt any less, she just got better at hiding her pain. Her brothers had tried, at first, to protect her from their father and the outside world but eventually they too joined in. At seven, Sakura had had no doubt in her mind, **all people were scum.**

But then, in the ninja academy, she made friends with Ino Yamanaka and Hinata Hyuga. They had been nice to her on the first day and as the years passed their had bond had only stengthened. One that still stuck to this very day.

Later Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke would come into the picture, melting the rest of the ice covering what had once been her hardened heart. Their tragic pasts endeared them to her in a way that she would have never thought possible. In Hinata and Ino she had found friends but in her team she had found a family.

Little by little all the things her father had taught her in hopes of toughening her up were eroded by the new lessons she learned from her close group of friends and comrads. This, of course, infuriated her father. So, in a last ditch effort, he revealed to her the truth about her own rather tragic past.

He her that mother had died on a mission where her assignment was to kill a young boy to keep him from becoming the heir to some large fortune. Once her mother had learned the details she had refused to do the job which didn't go over well with her client who had then a group of rogue ninja after her mother.

The truth had hurt Sakura deeply but it also made her understand her father more. She finally knew that his reason for treating her so harshly was to protect her from one day sharing in her mother's fate, and for that she was truly grateful. Even so, she didn't return home after that.

Instead, she moved in with Hinata, who's father had exiled her from her clan until she could prove her worth. To Sakura, it seemed like they were in the same boat. Both of their fathers wanted them hardened for the right reasons but used the wrong methods.

After that life seemed to get better, her bond with her team strengthened as did her bond with Hinata and Ino. She didn't see her brothers after the incident with her father but she heard they were doing well for themselves as traveling merchants.

And then the Chuunin exams came and with them came distruction.

Orochimaru, his Sound nin, and Suna led an invation on Konoha during the final part of the exam. The battles that followed resulted in the deaths of the Third Hokage, seven genin, and the Fourth Kazekage. Sakura had seen more blood on that single day than she had her whole short life til then.

For most of the battle she played the damsel, being saved by Kakashi and then by Neji when she had went after Sasuke and Naruto. The short time she spent with Neji that day was the basis of their future friendship. One that she would eventually be extremely grateful for.

Once she had finaly made it to Sasuke and Naruto she had only really gotten in the way. That aside, it was a pivitol point in her ninja career. As she watched Naruto and Sasuke duke it out with the Kazekage's son, Gaara, she realized that she the teachings of her father had had a useful place in her world.

All the time she had wanted to give up on that hardened part of her instead of using it to her advantage. Letting it motivate her because the reality was that the ninja world was a dog eat dog place. She had given up on people at a young age and then had found her faith later but the life she had been born to lead wasn't a solely civilian one.

In those long moments she took the time to accept the teachings of her father and the teachings of her friends. She was determined to be both an astounding ninja and a marvelous human being. Some people weren't capable of both but she would be. That was her ninja way.

**So there's a bit of background. I'm serious about this being a short fic, there'll probably only two or three more installments. Honestly, though, I'm enjoying myself writing them.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A New World**

Ch. 3-

The Old World pt 2

The months that followed the end of the Chuunin Exam were tough on Sakura. Sasuke had left with the deranged and legendary Sannin Orochimaru and Naruto had tried and failed many times to bring him back. Sakura was, of course, left in Konoha hoping that her two boys would miraculously appear at the village gates together.

Worse was the secret she carried with her throughout that time. She never told anyone, not even Naruto, what had transpired the night Sasuke had left. About how she had followed him and then tried to keep him from leaving. How she had confessed her love to him and his initial rejection.

Despite how close they had gotten he still didn't see her as anything more than the weak girl who trailed after him like some love sick puppy. He called her weak, berated her and belittled her. But the worse part was the way he had looked at her, as if he just wanted someone to hold him close and rock him to sleep. It had taken everything in her to keep her hands to herself.

And then, with nothing more than a few short words of thanks, he was gone and she was left laying on that cold stone bench.

In the three years that followed she trained hard under the tuteledge of Lady Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, and sparred daily with her old Kakashi-sensei. Naruto had gone off to train under Jiraya not too long much after Sasuke's betrayle, determined to become stong enough to save his friend. And Sakura was determined to help him.

She hoped, though, that they weren't destined to follow in the footsteps of their sensei's, being all at odds. Instead she prayed every night that they would be the three to change the ninja world for the better.

Then Naruto was back and it was like nothing between them had changed at all in the years they were separated. They bickered like before but there was a unspoken agreement that they had made to do all they could for their missing comrad.

Team Seven was back in action, with new members, and to Sakura the only way things could have gotten any better was if Sasuke had been with them. Sai and Yamato were okay substitutes, though. Even despite how much she really couldn't stand Sai.

Of course, like usual, just when she thought things were getting better everything took a turn for the worse.

They heard news that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru and had truly gone rogue, determined to find and kill his brother. Sakura, as naive as it sounded, had hoped Sasuke would see sense and return to them. Unfortunately for her, the sense he saw was not what she had had in mind.

Itachi had finally fallen and told him the truth about the Uchiha massacre. Naruto, through some odd twist of fate, had been present to hear most of it. Being the oddball of the bunch, Sakura refused to believe any of it.

How could she? No one wanted to hear that their government, the one they faught for and trusted, had ordered the death of a whole clan. No one wanted to believe the people they had sworn to defend could be so cold blooded.

So she avoided Naruto for the next few months. It wasn't hard, with him constantly on missions and her trying to focus more and more on her work in the hospital. And when they were actually in the village at the same time they split their time with their mutual friends evenly, though it was awkward on those days she awoke to see him sneaking from Hinata's room.

It was on one of these lazy days when the attack began.

Sasuke, along with what was left of the Akatsuki, attacked the village. Everything was thrown into total chaos. Civilians were slaughted in the streets while ninjas of all ranks fought as hard as they could against the skilled band of rogues.

Sakura was ordered to stay back from the heat of the battle and heal any ninja who came looking for aid at the hospital but, being the hardheaded woman she was, she raced into the streets of Konoha, ready to take down any who would stand against her. After healing some ninja she had never met before she spotted her old comrad across the battlefield, fighting against some jonin who's name she also didn't know. But she did know that man had a family who was waiting for him in the reseses of the hospital where they had set up protection for any civilians who could make it there and she also knew that that man stood no chance against her old teammate.

So while he had been distracted she landed a hit to the back of his temple, hoping to knock him out. The hit barely phased him, but it did get his attention away from the man he had been fighting and onto her. They faced off, exchanging no words, and stood like that for what felt like an eternity. He was the first to speak.

"I will make this as painless as possible," he murmured softly before he charged her. The battle lasted for two hours, as men and women fell around them. They had both improved in different ways but it still didn't make them equal. Right before he could finish her off Naruto came, saving the day once again.

For a moment she had resented him, it was that old bitter part of her. The part that had resolved to never be a damsel again, that part that had no place here. But that moment was quick to pass and then the only thing she felt was grateful. Again, she was left to watch them, contemplating her usefulness.

She didn't stay to watch them this time, though. She had other things that she had to do. Things she had to prove. Later she thanked Naruto for giving her the chance to finally prove herself.

And so she left them and made her way through the chaos and to the Hokage tower. With all the confusion she managed to slip in without being detected and proceeded to make her way to the lower levels where they kept all the top secret information

It took her hours to find what she was looking for, the whole time she could hear explosions going off above her. A part of her wanted to quit and rush to the aid of her comrads but she was more than certain that this was the place that she really needed to be. If she couldn't find what she was looking for winning the battle wouldn't matter becuase it would just happen again.

When she found it she was shocked at how ironic it was. Hidden in the information on her own mother was all the proof she needed. Every dirty deed the council had ordered, all written neatly, slid between the pages that talked about her mother.

Saya Haruno was a beautiful woman, a woman who Sakura looked almost nothing like. Saya had green hair and blue eyes, she was tanner and taller than Sakura. Having never seen a picture of her mother, Sakura stared in awe at the picture and took a moment to look over the information on her. She was shocked to find out that the boy her mother had been ordered to kill had been non other than Sasuke Uchiha and her clients had been the council. She felt her hate towards the council build for a moment before she turned to the information she had actually come for.

She folded the picture of her mother and left with what she needed. As quickly as she could she made her way to the very top of the Hokage tower and used the projection technique she had learned from Kakashi years before. Naruto would later tell her that he had thought she was an angel sent destroy them all. Neji would say he had thought she was an angel ment to save them. Sasuke would tell her that she had done both.

"Ten years ago on this day the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Twelve years before on this day the Jensei Clan Massacre. Twenty years before on this day the Haoshi Clan Massacre who held the power to absorb natural energy from their surroundings. The list goes on and on. Each clan became a target after they started to show signs of discontent. Each clan was wiped out by a memeber of their own. And everytime it was ordered by our own Elder Council. Though the members have changed over time, the tatics have not.

On this day the next clan to perish was to be the Shimura Clan who had also begun to feel ostricized by our leaders. And the cycle would have continued until no one was left to oppose our council.

These are not the only crimes of our council, of course. Many people here today have been hurt because of our blindness. We must stop our fighting. We must gather our courage. We must stand together. And we must end this. Here today, if you stand with me drop your weapons. War will not lead us into the profound future we have been dreaming of. War will only lead to more war and more pain," she hardly noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks as she finished her speech. She honestly hadn't meant to go on for so long but once she started she couldn't stop until she had said everything.

She remembered hoping that her words would reach their hearts and staring in awe as every ninja on the battlefield dropped their arms. Blood and bodies littered the streets of her home but she couldn't remember a more beautiful moment.

A great chorus of sobs rose into the air as it began to rain. Sakura opened her arms wide to the crowd before her and sobbed openly too.

She had once read that the world would end with a bang but she knew in that moment that that couldn't have been true. Because the old way ended there, on that day, with not a bang but with a whimper.

**I hope you all enjoyed that. It took me a while to get everything down like I wanted. Review please, thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A New World**

Ch. 3

The Second Day

The second time she went to see him was nicer. He was clean and looked to be well fed which was good, she would have hated to have had to repremand someone for not following orders. The cell was also cleaned which was also good. No one wanted to sit in a place that smelt of feces.

He sat up immediately when he noticed her standing by the door to his cell. For a moment he forgot where he was as he watched her talk briefly with the gaurd who stood by his cell. He took this time to appreciate what a lovely woman she had grown into.

Her hair was shorter than it had been the last time she had come to visit, now it was cropped close to her skull. It made her eyes look bigger, more expressive. It also made her look more matured, like a leader. He liked it. The rest of her was decked out in a black rope she let hang open to reveal her red mesh top and black shorts. She wore her signature heeled opentoe boots as well, which made him smirk. At least that hadn't changed.

"How are you feeling today, Sasuke-kun?" she asked when she finally entered the cell. Before answering her he watched the gaurd walk away to some other part of the jail.

"I feel fine. They've been feeding me everyday now. Is that your doing?" he asked as he sat up on his cot.

"It might be," she teased as she sat in the same chair she had occupied the last time. Sasuke just smirked at her, her good mood seemed to be infectious.

"We were officially made the new council yesterday," Sakura said, proudly. Sasuke looked over her beaming face for a moment, nodding his head in approval. It explained the black robe.

"Who else is on this council?" Sasuke questioned her.

"Neji is in charge of commerce and the treasury, I am in charge of public welfare and all that that includes, Kakashi is in charge of foreign affairs. The new Hokage will of course make all final decisions and we were hoping to add another council memeber," Sakura said as she began to cut a few tomatoes into slices.

Sasuke raised a brow as he watched her cut the slices and smirked when she slid them towards him.

"My arms are still tired," he murmured softly. Sakura's eyes widened before she nodded and began to feed him like she had the last time. If anyone had walked by and saw them they would probably assume they had stepped in upon an intimate moment between two lovers. Sasuke was quickly realizing that he wouldn't be opposed to that becoming a reality.

"And who's the next council member going to be?" Sasuke asked after she had fed him a few of the tomato slices.

Sakura smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Well we were hoping that you wouldn't mind heading the departments of education and justice."

Sasuke's eyes bugged for a moment as he took in her words. She couldn't be serious. There was no way, was there? He looked up into her green eyes and searched them for any sign of mirth. All he could see was the sencerity in her words.

"Leave," he said finally. Sakura's brows knotted together at this. That hadn't at all been what she suspected he might say.

"Sasuke... I, we thought that this would be good. You don't have to do it, it was just a suggestion," Sakura murmured as she held her hands up. She wasn't afraid, she just wanted him to know she had meant no offense.

"Get out...get the hell out of here!" he screamed as he stood from his chair. The speed and force of his movement threw his chair back.

"Get out! You think this makes what happened any better?! You don't know!" he cried out once again, flinging his arm out and hitting the tray of tomato slices onto the floor.

"I do know. My mother died for you. I lost her because she wouldn't kill you. This doesn't make that pain better for me... but I was never looking for that. I only want to make this into a village I can be proud of... into the villiage my mother could have been proud to fight for!" Sakura retorted hotly. Sasuke stopped for a moment and watched her as her eyes glowed with unshed tears.

"Sakura, I didn't mean...," he began only to be cut off.

"You save your apologies for her. I don't want them," she snarled out before leaving him, slamming the cell door behind her. Sasuke plobbed onto his cot with a sigh, when things seemed to be going right he always had a way of messing it up.

Three weeks passed and she still hadn't returned. The gaurds still allowed him to bath and fed him three square meals a day, though. Which either meant she cared enough to want him healthy or someone else had told them continue. At this point, he was betting on the later.

Honestly, how did she expect him to react, though? With a gracious smile and a curtsey? It was just... shocking. She had come back into his life like a whorlwind and things hadn't stopped spinning since.

She had gotten justice for his clan, justice he had never been able to forsee. She offered him a place of security, the chance to remake his clan to their former glory. She was a freaking cannon of change shooting holes in his reality. How was he supposed to take things?

"You should have said, 'thank you'," a new voice rang out. He looked over and looked in amazment at his best friend standing there dressed in the robe of the Hokage.

"Took you long enough, dope," he muttered before standing up. Naruto offered him a wide grin as the door slid open. They rushed to eachother, hugging tightly for only a few seconds before backing up.

"That never happened," Naruto said firmly but his blinding smile showed exactly how he really felt. His brother was home, alive and well.

"The ceremony's over?" Sasuke asked with interest. Naruto nodded his head with a grin.

"Yup and my first order of business was to exonerate you of all crimes. Come on man, you're free," Naruto said as he dragged him out of the cell. They walked silently for a while, going through each level of the prison until they finaly came to what Sasuke knew was the way out and into the light.

"This is all because of her," Naruto murmured when they finally stopped.

"I know," Sasuke said with a confirming nod.

"It's funny, don't you think. We were always saving her and fighting eachother. We never moved past that mindset. We were stagnant. She was the only one of us thinking ahead, moving forward," Naruto said in a somber tone. Sasuke watched the range of emotions that played across the face of his dear friend.

"**I** started a war, **You** fought in a war, **She** ended a war," Sasuke concluded. Naruto grinned widely at this.

"Yeah man. It's a whole new world out there Sasuke. And she created it. Once people heard of what happened here change swept through every nation, revolutions in every corner of the worl because of one girl," Naruto said thoughtfully.

"Not one girl. An angel, Naruto. Sakura is an angel," Sasuke murmured softly as Naruto beamed. They stood a moment longer, thinking things over, before Naruto threw the doors open, letting the sunlight wash over them both.

**Okay that's not the end but we're one chapter away. How'd you guys like it? Review please, thanks. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A New World**

Ch. 5

The Last Day

"Marry me."

The words had been simple and clear but that didn't stop her from having a hard time understanding. One would think that with all her intelligence and cunning she would be able to comprehend the words that had just come from his mouth but... she just couldn't. She wouldn't.

"What? You've got to be joking. Are you practicing to ask someone else?" She asked as she looked around them, making sure there was no one else present in the council room.

"I'm serious, Sakura. Will you do me the honor of becoming the next Uchiha Matriarch?" Sasuke asked again with a sigh. It couldn't have been that hard to believe, right? Everyone else on the council had supported him in his quest to win the heart of their bubblegum haired comrad.

"Sasuke... can you stop playing with me. I'm sure you have plenty of other things to do," Sakura said, sending a glare his way.

"Sakura...," he trailed off as he reached his hand out towards her. She moved just out of his reach with a look of absolute rage burning in her eyes. Sasuke winced as he watched her fist clench and hoped she wouldn't hit him too hard.

"Oh no, not that bullshit. We haven't talked outside of a council meeting since you joined the council... five months ago!" Sakura shouted in outrage. He was mocking her. There was no other explaination for this, this... farse!

"I know. I didn't think you wanted to talk to me after what happened but... I've been sending you little things as a way of smoothing the courting process and Naruto thought it was high time I said something so... here we are," Sasuke responded calmly.

"Naruto? He knew? Next thing you'll say is that everyone else on the council knew too!" Sakura cried out, his lack of response made her thow up both her hands in ecasperation.

"You have got to be kidding me. I'm not marrying you, Sasuke," Sakura stated firmly, her hands placed upon her wide hips. Sasuke absentmindly licked his lips at her powerful display.

"Don't oogle me!" she screamed when she noticed his gaze roving along the curves of her body.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, I was out of line just now but hear me out..."

"Why? Why me? Is it because I'm the only female who you think is worthy enough to carry your fucking seed? Is it because you think it'll be easy to get me since we already know one another and I have feelings for you? Why now when you never noticed me before?" Sakura asked, angry tears coming to her eyes. They both noticed how she spoke in the present tense when she mentions her feeling towards him, to Sakura this was a sloppy mistake. To Sasuke it was just another reason to keep fighting for her.

"You're wrong. You were always the only one I noticed. When we first met I thought you were annoying and weak. And then later I wanted to protect you because you were my comrad, though I still thought you were annoying. I realized you had a strong heart the night you came to stop me from leaving. That's why I thanked you that night I... you believed in me. You payed attention to me, more than even Kakashi or Naruto. You gave a fuck about me," Sasuke explained as he looked over Sakura's teared covered face.

"And then... I wanted power but I never stopped wanting to protect you. When we faced off that day a few months ago... I didn't want to hurt you but you faught so hard. I wanted you to just give up. I didn't think you had gotten so strong. I was going to kill you that day, I won't lie and say I wasn't. I thought that it was better you die by my hand before anyone else got the chance to hurt you."

"You wanted to kill me... to protect me?" Sakura marveled in disbelief.

"I know it sounds crazy but I was crazy. My hatred consumed me but I still had those invisible bonds with you and Naruto and Kakashi. I still wanted to protect you all but I hated you all at the same time. When I saw you... I thought you were dead. I didn't see your body anywhere so I thought you had died and become a Goddess. I knew we had all disappointed you. I wanted you to wipe all the hate from the world and you ended wiping all the hate from our hearts.

Sakura... you cleansed us all that day with your tears and we all cried becuase we had made you cry. This beautiful Goddess crying over our evil deeds. Those tears freed us, freed me and for that I cannot thank you enough."

"Sasuke, just stop," Sakura pleaded quietly. Despite all her strength she couldn't handle this. Not now when she was just getting to a point where she was ready to move on. Not when she had finally grown up past being that love sick girl who knew nothing of the world. Not now.

"No, Sakura. You gave me everything. You redeemed me. And when you offered this position to me I couldn't cope with just how much I owed you. It scared me to think that you were the one who achieved what I could not, what Naruto could not. And I have loved you, subtly, since that moment. And as each day passes I love you more, Sakura. Please, I will beg. I will lie my honor on the floor before you, anything to prove to you that you have my devotion. Marry me," Sasuke finished, getting on his knees before her and offering her the simple gold ring that had been his mother's.

"No," Sakura said after a moment. Sasuke looked up at her in shock. He didn't think she'd be able to reject him after he had poured his heart out to her. But he wouldn't argue with her if that was she wanted. It was probably the universe repaying him for the way he had thrown her love back in her face when they were younger.

"You'll marry me. The Uchiha name has too much bad blood. I want a clan that my mother would have approved of. Let's make the Haruno clan one to be respected," Sakura said with a teary smile. Sasuke took a moment to think it over before nodding his head. She was right, after all. The Uchiha name was a cursed one. And honestly, at this point, he'd do anything to just be able to stand by her side for the rest of their lives.

"Sasuke Haruno? I think I like it," Sasuke murmured as he placed the ring in his pocket. If they were going to build the Haruno clan they had to start completely fresh. He would have loved to give her his mother's ring but he didn't want to bring anything so laden with sad memories into what he hoped would be a happy future with his future wife.

"Are you serious?" Sakura asked, flabbergasted. She had meant it but she didn't really think he'd agree to it. Sasuke smirked before kissing her softly on the lips. It was nice to be the one confusing her now.

"I am. You said you'd help me build my clan to it's former glory. I don't want that. Uchiha glory ended in blood a long time ago. Instead I want to work with you and build the Haruno clan, from the ground up," Sasuke said sincerly.

"The villiage will be up in arms about it. A man taking a woman's last name isn't common... Less so when it concerns the heir to a great clan," Sakura murmured as she placed her hand in his.

"Let them be. This is a new world, Sakura, with a whole new way of thinking."

**I hope I didn't disappoint anyone. That's the official ending by the way. I took a lot of liberties here and I'm really very proud of all of them. I don't there's ever been a fic where Sasuke took Sakura's last name... maybe there was a gender bender one that I haven't heard of. Doesn't matter though, now.**

**Leave me a review and tell me how you liked it, if you liked it.**


End file.
